In this video, animator Henry Reich explains the integral
role of the Higgs boson, illustrating how it gives other particles their mass
and why it's a key component in our model of the weak nuclear force.

This is definitely the most interesting One-Minute Physics video I've seen on New Scientist. Thank you.
I expect physicists might find it simplistic but for the layman, me, it fills in the gaps in my understanding of what the big hoopala was yesterday.

Dan Burden
on July 5, 2012 4:57 PM

I know that CERN's discovery potentially changes the world of modern physics. In fact, it seems to have already altered the passage of time; a 2:53 video has been squeezed into one-minute physics!

grace Brennan
on July 5, 2012 11:11 PM

Roger, in nuclear reactions/collisions, mass-energy is conserved. The neutron was proposed to balance the equation when there was found to be "less energy" at the end point. In other words its mass helps the calculations to work!

Polly Crook
on July 6, 2012 12:46 PM

Great video, really helps with my understanding but: If the electron is is an excitation in the electron field and the Higgs boson is an excitation in the Higgs field, then why do we see electrons everywhere, but not the Higgs Boson?

Polly, a great question. Ithink the answer is that it takes much lower energy levels to cause an excittation of the electric field than it does to produce an excitation of the Higgs field. So to produce an observable electron we can just stick two differentt metals into a solution of acid for example and observe then running from anode to cathode. But to produce an excitation of the Higgs field we need to build a massive atom-smasher and collide protons at the speed of light. And the Higgs boson only is observable for a fraction of a second because, presumably, all matter is so entwined with the higgs field to an extent that it is not with the electric field. I'm not an expert but that's my simplistic understanding anyway.

Matt
on July 11, 2012 2:34 AM

The reason we have had such a hard time spotting the Higgs Boson and more relative ease spotting the electron is the decay rates. The atom smasher is necessary but it is the millionth of a millionth of a millionth of a millionth of a second that a Higgs Boson can independently exist for that makes it so difficult to recognize.

Jeff
on July 17, 2012 4:14 AM

nicely done super condensed explanation!

I wonder why the Higgs decays so fast, and can someone tell me what it decays into? does it "go back" to being in the "higgs field?" also, what makes one "particle" decay very slowly (electrons, protons, yadda,) and others decay so quickly? I find quantum physics facinating, I just wish I was smart enough to understand it better...